The Tippecanoe School Corporation's Para to Teacher Pathway program celebrated its first graduating class as Cara Hershman, Melissa Moxley and Amy Russell earned diplomas from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in Terre Haute. They completed the district’s Grow Your Own initiative that turns classroom aides into fully licensed special education teachers.

TSC launched the program in 2022 to recruit, develop and retain special education teachers. TSC covered the full cost of a bachelor's degree, valued around $60,000 in exchange for committing to teach with TSC for a minimum of three years upon earning their license.

Cara Hershman

Cara Hershman has been part of the TSC family since her own elementary school days. Over the years, she has served in nearly every role inside a classroom—student, paraprofessional, interventionist, registered behavior technician and now student teacher in a kindergarten classroom at Mayflower Mill Elementary School. When she learned about the “grow our own initiative,” Hershman says she was a new mom working as a paraprofessional and ready to take the next step. 

“Working with students with special needs has always been where my heart is, and this program gave me the opportunity to grow into a teacher while continuing that work,” Hershman says, adding that balancing school, work and family life was challenging but made possible through support from her family, friends and mentors. 

Hershman is set to begin her teaching career in the district’s new preschool program this fall. 

Melissa Moxley

Melissa Moxley brings a decade of experience inside TSC classrooms to her new role as a licensed teacher. Over her 10 years at Wainwright Middle School, she worked as a paraprofessional in the resource room and general education classrooms before stepping into the role of Learning Lab teacher, where she helped students reinforce and revisit material until it clicked. She also served as a substitute teacher in the resource math classroom during an extended leave, gaining experience in lesson planning and classroom management before earning her degree.

Moxley says balancing coursework, her job and her family was one of the hardest parts of the journey, but she kept her eye on the reason she started.

"I kept reminding myself that I was doing this for them, and that it would be worth it in the end," Moxley says.

Moxley believes she has benefited from working alongside experienced educators and administrators, picking up strategies and instincts that no online coursework could replicate.

Amy Russell

Amy Russell has a lifelong interest in teaching and years of experience advocating for children and families. Russell served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate and educational surrogate, as well as a registered behavior technician. Those experiences inspired her to pursue teaching through the Para to Teacher Pathway program. She currently teaches students in an emotional disability classroom at Wea Ridge Elementary School and looks forward to continuing in that position as a licensed teacher in the fall.

Russell says she is proud to be one of the first to graduate from the program.

“The corporation has generously afforded me an education along with valuable experiences. I look forward to continued efforts of giving back to my students and families,” Russell says. “I am thankful for the ongoing support from my school administration, and I continue to treasure the guidance from my fellow TSC educators.” 

Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Dr. Doug Allison says programs like Para to Teacher Pathway reflect TSC’s commitment to finding creative solutions to educator shortages, particularly in special education. While this specific program is no longer offered because of funding limitations, Allison says the district remains focused on helping employees already working in schools become licensed teachers. “When we do this, it is a win for the employee, the students and the district,” Allison says.